GOP tries to capitalize on symbolic debt-limit vote

As expected, Republicans are using this past week's symbolic vote to raise the debt ceiling -- without attached spending cuts -- against House Democrats who voted for the measure.

Here's a TV ad that the National Republican Congressional Committee is airing against Democratic Congressman Brad Miller of North Carolina, who won re-election last year with more than 55% of the vote. It is running for three weeks on cable in Miller's district.

"The American economy is still in trouble," the ad goes. "Drowning in government debt…owed to countries like China. The national debt is now 14 trillion dollars. And Congressman Brad Miller just voted for two trillion MORE debt….without any budget cuts."

The NRCC is also running targeted phone calls aimed at 10 other Democrats who voted for the measure.

*** UPDATE *** As it turns out, four of the targeted phone calls are aimed at Democrats who voted AGAINST the measure: Boswell (IA), Carnahan (MO), Cicilline (RI), and Critz (PA), so the NRCC is trying to have it both ways. The six targeted Democrats who voted FOR the measure: Garamendi (CA), Grijalva (AZ), Himes (CT), Holt (NJ), Lujan (NM), and Yarmuth (KY).